Securing Asia’s Subsea Network: U.S. Interests and Strategic Options(1)
(To be continued in (2) )
I would like tentatively to share the insights of Mr. Matthew Goodman, senior vice president for economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C.
More than 1 million kilometers of submarine cables traversing the ocean floor, each about as wide as a garden hose, transmit up to 99 percent of international data, underpinning global trade and communication.
This vital digital infrastructure faces myriad threats, from earthquakes and typhoons to fishing nets and saboteurs.
The United States derives significant advantages from its centrality in Asia’s subsea cables, which contribute up to $169 billion to the U.S. economy annually and could benefit more U.S. workers and businesses as demand for digital products and services grows globally.
But realizing those benefits will require the United States to step up its policy engagement on Asia’s cable networks, which are changing with China’s rise, the emergence of new regional hubs, and new transpacific routes designed to reduce risks and increase network resiliency.
